An Interview with Anne: Questions and Answers on Dragonriders of Pern
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | An Interview with Anne: Questions and Answers on Dragonriders of Pern |
| Interviewer: | |
| Interviewee: | Anne McCaffrey |
| Date(s): | 1998? |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | Dragonriders of Pern |
| External Links: | Interview with Anne McCaffrey, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
An Interview with Anne: Questions and Answers on Dragonriders of Pern is an interview with Anne McCaffrey.
Excerpts
Q: If male green riders are always gay, what are female green riders? Would a lesbian or bisexual female impress a blue or brown? (Though I do realize that women don't impress blues or browns in your Pern, it sorta seems logical in a way)ANNE: Female green riders - and there is only one in My Pern - aren't lesbians, but more assertive women. Once, as you will discover in CHRONICLES OF PERN, women did ride greens, when blues and browns were definitely male - but they kept getting pregnant and being unable to fly except in the queens wing. Then one or two gays were presented as candidates and the emphasis changed...blues went for male gays, greens for the female ones. Or blues could be AC/DC...likewise browns - and occasionally bronze riders would indulge. When the dragons decides, the rider complies.
Of course, in modern day weyrs, where there might not be sufficient gays, greens could impress women. Certainly they do in fan Weyrs. Somehow, though, I had a dislike of the guy who wanted to be a Weyrwoman and ride a gold. That turned me off like nothing else ever has. He wasn't even very personably - I met him at a signing - so I think he was on a power trip and that annoyed me even more. Yet he swore that he and his Weyr would stick to the traditions as outlined in my books. HOWWWWW?
I suppose a bisexual woman could ride any of the three lower orders, as it were, but not bronze and certainly not gold. There is a match of personalities between rider and dragon, and sensualities. You can't mismatch and not expect REAL BIG TRouble in Weyr City.
Q: When dragons mate, their riders are affected soo strongly that they also are driven to mate/make love/you get the idea.....How much are dragons who are not in heat affected by their riders making love? ie. Green and blue rider weyrmates in love and having sex, do the dragons just sit and mentaly 'watch'? Or do they do anything with each other? (Rub against each other affectionatly? Mate outside of heat?) What about two blue riders in love or a gold rider who falls for a green rider?..(same sex dragons).
ANNE: When people mate, the dragons are interested and may respond, depending on whether or not the association is long standing. Casual encounters because a green is proddy do not cause too much reaction. But everyone in a Weyr will feel a tad smarmy when the gold flies to mate. Two blue riders - no problem - the dragon is the important half in such encounters. No gold queen rider would fall for a green rider! Besides which , no green could catch a queen rider to mate. Let's be sensible about this. Green riders are generally gay males. Gold riders are fully female women. The two do not attract sexually but they can be good friends.
Q: You said that Green riders are generally gay males...Is this always the case? Is it posible to have bisexual green riders? For that manner, is it posible for a bronze rider to be bisexual, even though they generaly aren't?
ANNE: Green riders in my Pern world are ALWAYS gay males: blue riders are usually bi-sexual and browns not averse to a little of what pleases them with greens. "The dragon decides!" But as such sexual tendencies are not at all unremarkable in a Weyr (where they would be abhorred in Hold or Hall), the matter is not at issue. Bronze riders in my books are as masculine as gold riders are feminine...but occasionally a bronze will take a green - and it's up to the riders to decide if they want a like match or will take each other. One can arrange for extra partners of the right persuasion.